15 year old dog is unsteady/incontinent/testicular cancer

willmunny1990

I have a 15 year old mix breed dog who's not in the best of health at the moment, he's unsteady on his back legs (wobbles when walking), the red part of his penis is mostly out and drips and he was also diagnosed with testicular cancer a while back.

This sounds terrible but the dog is still mobile, he can walk and get around fine at the moment and isn't in any pain.

But the penis issue is only a new one so i'm wondering is this anything serious and is there treatment for incontinence in dogs, especially at his age?

Now he wasn't diagnosed with incontinence by a vet, i am assuming he has it due to his symptoms but i could be wrong. Is it normal for the red part of his penis to be out as often as it is? it drips when out and leaves little pee splashes on the ground where he's been standing.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

meoklmrk91

willmunny1990 wrote: »

I have a 15 year old mix breed dog who's not in the best of health at the moment, he's unsteady on his back legs (wobbles when walking), the red part of his penis is mostly out and drips and he was also diagnosed with testicular cancer a while back.

This sounds terrible but the dog is still mobile, he can walk and get around fine at the moment and isn't in any pain.

But the penis issue is only a new one so i'm wondering is this anything serious and is there treatment for incontinence in dogs, especially at his age?

Now he wasn't diagnosed with incontinence by a vet, i am assuming he has it due to his symptoms but i could be wrong. Is it normal for the red part of his penis to be out as often as it is? it drips when out and leaves little pee splashes on the ground where he's been standing.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

The red part of the penis is actually the dogs penis, normally it is inside the fur covered prepuce, the basic function of which is to protect the penis. The penis usually should be outside the prepuce if the dog is sexually exited, or sometimes just exited, If the penis is outside the prepuce other than this it indicates something is wrong. I would take the dog to a vet.

The fact that he is leaving little drops of pee would indicate to me that the urethra is under pressure, maybe that the penis is swollen, could be something as simple as an infection.

DBB

Without any shadow of a doubt, bring the old fella to the vet. That issue with the prepuce needs to be addressed as it's probably quite uncomfortable. The dripping pee does not indicate incontinence in the true sense of the condition, which is that the dog loses control of the bladder and pees in large quantities, without being able to control it. The drip-drip you describe is more likely a secondary issue caused by the prepuce/penis issue.
If he's otherwise comfortable, there's no reason why you can't leave him off to enjoy life a while longer! If he/she hasn't already, your vet should also prescribe painkillers/anti-inflammatories to give the dog some comfort from the creaky joints.
Also, no harm at all to get some oily fish into him a few times a week, to help not only with the joints, but also to balance his immune system, boost his brain and prevent dementia.
Good luck with him... I've a shockin soft spot for the oldies!

willmunny1990

Thanks for the advice. I'll defiantly be bringing him to the vet for a check up, get the penis issue sorted anyway. I think you may be right about the incontinence because it's only drips he leaves behind him never anything major.

This is the only time he's ever had any major problems, I've had him 15 years and he's never cost us anything as he's always been in good health. He owes us nothing. It's just old age catching up with him i suppose, it'll happen to us all!